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Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D.; T.J. Mathews, M.S.; and Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A.
Teen birth rates fell steeply in the United States from 2007 through 2011, resuming a decline that began in 1991 but was briefly interrupted in 2006 and 2007. The overall rate declined 25% from 41.5 per 1,000 teenagers aged 15–19 in 2007 to 31.3 in 2011—a record low. The number of births to teenagers aged 15–19 also fell from 2007 to 2011, by 26% to 329,797 in 2011. Births to teenagers are at elevated risk of low birthweight, preterm birth, and of dying in infancy compared with infants born to women aged 20 and over (1–3), and they are associated with significant public costs, estimated at $10.9 billion annually (4). Recent trends by state and race and Hispanic origin are illustrated using the most current available data from the National Vital Statistics System.
Keywords: teen childbearing, geographic differences and trends, National Vital Statistics System
Figure 1. Birth rates for teenagers aged 15–19, by race and Hispanic origin: United States, 1991, 2007, and 2011
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure 2. Percent change in birth rates for all teenagers aged 15–19, by state: United States, 2007 and 2011
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 2 [PDF - 200 KB].
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure 3. Percent change in birth rates for non-Hispanic white teenagers aged 15–19, by state: United States, 2007 and 2011
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 3 [PDF - 200 KB].
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure 4. Percent change in birth rates for non-Hispanic black teenagers aged 15–19, by state: United States, 2007 and 2011
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 4 [PDF - 200 KB].
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System.
Figure 5. Percent change in birth rates for Hispanic teenagers aged 15–19, by state: United States, 2007 and 2011
NOTE: Access data table for Figure 5 [PDF - 200 KB].
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System.
The recent declines in teen childbearing are sustained, widespread, and broad-based. If teen birth rates by age and race and Hispanic origin of mother had remained at their 1991 levels, an estimated 3.6 million more births to teenagers would have occurred from 1992 through 2011 (6,7). The declines in teen birth rates have been attributed to a number of factors, including strong teen pregnancy prevention messages (8–10). The latest data from the National Survey of Family Growth show increased use of contraception at first sex and the use of dual methods of contraception (that is, condoms and hormonal methods) among sexually active female and male teenagers (11). Recent data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance Survey also show wide variation across states in the extent to which sexually active teenagers are using the most effective methods of contraception (12).
The three largest population groups experienced declines in their teen birth rates of 20% to 34% at the national level from 2007 through 2011. Birth rates also are down significantly for API and AIAN teenagers, though small numbers preclude analysis of changes by state for these groups. Despite this substantial impact, the U.S. teen birth rate remains one of the highest among Western countries (13).
The race and Hispanic origin-specific birth rates by state and the population composition of states by race and Hispanic origin both contribute to state variations in the teen birth rate as well as to variations in the trends. Historically, U.S. birth rates have been higher for Hispanic and non-Hispanic black teenagers than for non-Hispanic white teenagers. Thus, states with large proportions of Hispanic or non-Hispanic black teenagers would be expected to have higher overall teen birth rates. These patterns might also be expected to influence the recent trends in rates by race and Hispanic origin across states. Previous reports have explored the variations in rates across states within race and Hispanic groups (6,14,15). This report shows the extent to which declines in birth rates by race and Hispanic origin have varied across states. In general, declines have been widespread across all states, with the largest declines generally observed in the Southeast, Mountain, and Pacific states.
Teen birth rate: The number of births to women aged 15–19 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 (or teen subgroup).
This report contains data from the Natality Data File from the National Vital Statistics System. The vital statistics natality file includes information for all births occurring in the United States. The natality files include information on a wide range of maternal and infant demographic and health characteristics for babies born in the United States. The natality files are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) website. Data for 2010 and earlier years may also be accessed from the interactive data access tool, VitalStats.
Birth rates for teenagers for 2011 are based on preliminary birth data. Information on the 2011 data is available elsewhere (5). Population data for computing birth rates for 2011 were provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and are projected based on the April 1, 2010 census (16). Rates for 2007 are based on newly released and revised intercensal population estimates based on the 2000 and 2010 censuses (1,16). These rates may differ from the intercensal rates published in "Births: Final Data for 2010," the original rates published in "Births: Final Data for 2009," and earlier reports that were based on 2000 postcensal population estimates. See the forthcoming report "Births: Final Data for 2011" for more information on the revised rates (17). Rates by state shown here may differ from rates computed on the basis of other population estimates (1). Note that birth rates by state are not shown for groups with fewer than 20 births in the numerator.
Brady E. Hamilton, T.J. Mathews, and Stephanie J. Ventura are with NCHS' Division of Vital Statistics, Reproductive Statistics Branch.
Hamilton BE, Mathews TJ, Ventura SJ. Declines in state teen birth rates by race and Hispanic origin. NCHS data brief, no 123. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013.
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.
Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., Acting Director
Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate Director for Science
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